Tailgate tie down systems

ABSTRACT

A tailgate tie down system includes a first plate assembly and a second plate assembly. A strap is connected between each of the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly. In an exemplary method, the strap can be routed through at least one accessory tool before securing the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly within tailgate latch openings. Once the plate assemblies are locked within the latch openings, the accessory tool is also locked relative to the tailgate.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to tailgate tie down systems for securing cargoat a rearward location of a truck bed when the tailgate is in an openposition.

BACKGROUND

A pickup truck includes a truck bed that serves as a cargo space fortransporting various types of cargo. A tailgate is positioned at arearward end of the truck bed. The tailgate is movable between anupright, closed position and a horizontal, open position to selectivelyprovide access to the truck bed. Long stock cargo, such as canoes,boats, lumber, etc., may protrude outwardly past the end of the tailgatewhen in the open position. Customers often struggle to find rearwardanchoring locations for tying down the long stock cargo to the tailgate.

SUMMARY

A tailgate tie down system according to an exemplary aspect of thepresent disclosure includes, among other things, a first plate assemblyand a second plate assembly. A strap is irremovably connected to each ofthe first plate assembly and the second plate assembly when the firstplate assembly and the second plate assembly are received withintailgate latch openings.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing system, each ofthe first plate assembly and the second plate assembly includes a platebody and a striker barrel.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing systems,the striker barrel protrudes outwardly from a vertical section of theplate body.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems,the plate body includes a vertical section and a horizontal section, andthe strap is connected to the horizontal section.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems,the strap includes a ratchet adapted to tighten the strap between thefirst plate assembly and the second plate assembly.

A vehicle according to another exemplary aspect of the presentdisclosure includes, among other things, a tailgate including a firstlatch opening and a second latch opening. A tie down system includes afirst plate assembly secured within the first latch opening, a secondplate assembly secured within the second latch opening, and a strapextending between the first plate assembly and the second plateassembly.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing vehicle, thevehicle is a pickup truck.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoingvehicles, the strap is irremovably connected to each of the first plateassembly and the second plate assembly.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles,the strap is removably connected to at least one of the first plateassembly and the second plate assembly.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles,each of the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly includesa plate body and a striker barrel.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles, afirst latch arm is mounted inside the first latch opening for engagingthe striker barrel of the first plate assembly and a second latch arm ismounted inside the second latch opening for engaging the striker barrelof the second plate assembly.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles, apowered latch actuator is configured to selectively lock or unlock thefirst latch arm and the second latch arm.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles, acontrol module is configured to automatically actuate the powered latchactuator for locking or unlocking the first latch arm and the secondlatch arm in response to a user command signal.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicles,the user command signal is communicated in response to actuating anelectronic device.

A method according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosureincludes, among other things, routing a strap of a tailgate tie downsystem through at least one accessory tool, securing a first plateassembly and a second plate assembly of the tailgate tie down systemwithin opposing latch openings of a tailgate, and locking the first andsecond plate assemblies within the opposing latch openings, therebylocking the accessory tool relative to the tailgate.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing methods, themethod includes opening the tailgate prior to routing the strap andsecuring the first and second plate assemblies.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing methods,securing the first and second plate assemblies includes positioning afirst striker barrel of the first plate assembly within a first of theopposing latch openings, engaging a first latch arm around the firststriker barrel, positioning a second striker barrel of the second plateassembly within a second of the opposing latch openings, and engaging asecond latch arm around the second striker barrel.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods,locking the first and second plate assemblies includes actuating apowered latch actuator to lock a positioning of the first latch arm andthe second latch arm.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods,the method includes actuating a key fob or a switch to command thepowered latch actuator to lock the positioning of the first latch armand the second latch arm.

The embodiments, examples, and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs,the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any oftheir various aspects or respective individual features, may be takenindependently or in any combination. Features described in connectionwith one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless suchfeatures are incompatible.

The various features and advantages of this disclosure will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can bebriefly described as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle equipped with a cargo space for storing andhauling cargo at a rearward location of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 illustrates a tailgate tie down system according to a firstexemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plate assembly of the tailgate tie down system ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 3A illustrates another exemplary plate assembly of a tailgate tiedown system.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary latching system for locking the plateassembly of FIG. 3 relative to the tailgate.

FIGS. 5 and 6 schematically illustrate an exemplary use of the tailgatetie down system of FIG. 2 for locking one or more accessory toolsrelative to the tailgate.

FIG. 7 illustrates a tailgate tie down system according to a secondexemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a plate assembly of the tailgate tie downsystem of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure details tailgate tie down systems for securing cargowithin vehicle cargo spaces. An exemplary tailgate tie down systemincludes a first plate assembly secured within a first latch opening ofa tailgate, a second plate assembly secured within a second latchopening of the tailgate, and a strap extending between the first plateassembly and the second plate assembly. The strap can be used to tiedown cargo that extends up to and beyond the tailgate. The first andsecond plate assemblies can be locked within the latch openings tosecure accessory tools relative to the tailgate. These and otherfeatures of this disclosure are described in greater detail in thefollowing paragraphs of this detailed description.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle 10. In the illustratedembodiment, the vehicle 10 is a pickup truck. While a truck is pictured,other vehicles could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.For example, the exemplary tailgate tie down systems of this disclosurecould be used to secure cargo within any vehicle cargo space.

Although a specific component relationship is illustrated in the figuresof this disclosure, the illustrations are not intended to limit thisdisclosure. The placement and orientation of the various components ofthe vehicle 10 are shown schematically and could vary within the scopeof this disclosure. In addition, the various figures accompanying thisdisclosure are not necessarily to scale, and some features may beexaggerated or minimized to show certain details of a particularcomponent.

The vehicle 10 includes a truck bed 12 that establishes a cargo spacefor storing and hauling cargo at a rear location of the vehicle 10. Thetruck bed 12 is generally rearward of a passenger cabin 15 of thevehicle 10 and includes a floor 20 extending between a pair oflongitudinally extending side walls 14, a laterally extending front wall16, and a tailgate 18.

The tailgate 18 is moveable between a closed position (shown in phantom)and a deployed or open position. When in the closed position, thetailgate 18 generally encloses an end of the truck bed 12 that isopposite from the front wall 16 to prevent cargo from sliding out of thetruck bed 12. The tailgate 18 may be pivoted about a generallyhorizontal axis H to move it from the closed position to the openposition and provide access to the truck bed 12. When in the openposition, the tailgate 18 is generally horizontal and is parallel to aground level 19 such that cargo can be loaded onto or unloaded from thetruck bed 12.

A handle 22 is movably mounted to the tailgate 18. In use, a user canmanually open the tailgate 18 by actuating the handle 22, therebyreleasing the tailgate 18 for movement from the closed position to theopen position.

In some instances, the owner or user of the vehicle 10 may wish to loadlong stock cargo 28 (see FIG. 2) within the truck bed 12. In thisdisclosure, the term “long stock cargo” is intended to denote cargo thatincludes a length dimension that is wider than its width dimension. Thelong stock cargo 28 could extend across a majority of the length of thetruck bed 12, or could even be longer than the truck bed 12 such that itextends beyond a rear edge 24 of the tailgate 18 when the tailgate is inthe open position. Lumber (e.g., two-by-fours), canoes, boats, andladders are non-limiting examples of the types of long stock cargo thatcan be hauled within the truck bed 12.

The owner or user of the vehicle 10 may desire to secure or tie down thelong stock cargo 28 as far rearward as possible. Tailgate tie downsystems suitable for this purpose are discussed in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first exemplary tailgate tie down system 26 forsecuring (i.e., tying down) long stock cargo 28 relative to the tailgate18. The tailgate tie down system 26 may include a first plate assembly29, a second plate assembly 30, and a strap 32 that extends between thefirst plate assembly 29 and the second plate assembly 30. The firstplate assembly 29 may be secured within a first latch opening 34 locatedat a first side edge 36 of the tailgate 18, and the second plateassembly 30 may be secured within a second latch opening 38 located at asecond side edge 40 of the tailgate 18. In an embodiment, the firstlatch opening 34 and the second latch opening 38 are fishmouth openings.Once secured relative to the tailgate 18, the strap 32 of the tailgatetie down system 26 extends over top of the long stock cargo 28 forsecuring the long stock cargo 28 at a rearward location of the tailgate18.

In an embodiment, the strap 32 is irremovably connected to each of thefirst plate assembly 29 and the second plate assembly 30. In anotherembodiment, the strap 32 is removably connected to each of the firstplate assembly 29 and the second plate assembly 30. In yet anotherembodiment, the strap 32 is removably connected to one of the firstplate assembly 29 and the second plate assembly 30 but irremovablyconnected to the other of the first plate assembly 29 and the secondplate assembly 30.

The strap 32 may additionally include a ratchet 42 for tightening thestrap 32. For example, the ratchet 42 may be actuated to pull the strap32 taut between the first and second plate assemblies 29, 30. Tighteningthe strap 32 in this manner asserts a greater tie down force against thelong stock cargo 28.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the first and second plateassemblies 29, 30 may include a plate body 44 and a striker barrel 46.In an embodiment, the plate body 44 includes a vertical section 47 and ahorizontal section 48 that extends from transversely away from an upperportion 50 of the vertical section 47. The striker barrel 46 mayprotrude outwardly from an inner surface 52 of the vertical section 47,and the strap 32 may be secured or connected to the horizontal section48.

FIG. 3A illustrates another exemplary design of the second plateassembly 30. Although illustrated with respect to the second plateassembly 30, it should be understood that the first plate assembly 29could additionally or alternatively include the design depicted in FIG.3A. In this embodiment, the strap 32 is removable from the second plateassembly 30 when the second plate assembly 30 is removed from the secondlatch opening 38 but is irremovable from the second plate assembly 30when the second plate assembly 30 is secured within the second latchopening 38. The horizontal section 48 of the plate body 44 may include aslot 51 for receiving the strap 32. The strap 32 is positioned throughthe slot 51 and may then be secured to an underside 53 of the horizontalsection 48 by a fastener 55. The fastener 55 may be a snap fastener orany other suitable fastener. It is not possible for an unauthorized userto gain access to the fastener 55 for removing the strap 32 once thesecond plate assembly 30 is secured within the second latch opening 38.Thus, in this embodiment, the strap 32 is considered irremovable fromthe second plate assembly 30 once second plate assembly 30 has beensecured within the second latch opening 38.

Referring now primarily to FIG. 4, but with continued reference to FIGS.2 and 3, the striker barrels 46 of the first and second plate assemblies29, 30 may be removably secured within the first and second latchopenings 34, 38 by a latching system 56. For example, latch arms 54 (oneassociated with each latch opening 34, 38) of the latching system 56releasably engage the striker barrels 46 for securing the first andsecond plate assemblies 29, 30 within the first and second latchopenings 34, 38 when the tailgate 18 is in the open position.

The latching system 56 may be configured to automatically lock andunlock the latch arms 54 relative to the striker barrels 46. Forexample, each latch arm 54 may be operably connected to a rod 58 via oneor more linkages (not shown). The rods 58 are operably connected to apowered latch actuator 60. The powered latch actuator 60 may includesolenoids, electric motors with gear drives, or any other suitableelectrically powered mechanism. The powered latch actuator 60 isoperably connected to the latch arms 54 by the rods 58 and anyintervening linkages. Actuation of the powered latch actuator 60 causesthe rods 58 to shift linearly, thereby rotating the latch arms 54 toselectively lock and unlock the latch arms 54 relative to the strikerbarrels 46.

The latching system 56 may additionally include a control module 62 forcontrolling the powered latch actuator 60 to lock/unlock the strikerbarrels 46 of the tailgate tie down system 26. The control module 62 maybe configured to actuate the powered latch actuator 60 in response toreceiving a command signal 64 from an electronic device 66, such as akey-fob or cell phone, or from a switch 68 located either within thepassenger cabin 15 or on the handle 22 of the tailgate 18.Locked/unlocked states of the powered latch actuator 60 can be storedwithin the memory of the control module 62.

The handle 22 of the tailgate 18 cannot be used to manually release thelatch arms 54 when the powered latch actuator 60 has been actuated tothe locked position. Thus, the latching system 56 can be controlled toeither lock or unlock the tailgate tie down system 26 relative to thetailgate 18.

The configuration of the latching system 56 shown in FIG. 4 is intendedto be non-limiting. Thus, it should be understood that the powered latchactuator 60 and the various other components of the latching system 56could be controlled in various other ways within the scope of thisdisclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 6, with continued reference to FIGS. 1-4, schematicallyillustrate an exemplary use of the tailgate tie down system 26 forlocking one or more accessory tools 70 (see FIG. 6) relative to thetailgate 18. The accessory tools 70 could be any tool that the user ofthe vehicle 10 desires to use when on a job site or construction site.For example, the accessory tools 70 could include a miter saw, a powerpack, a compressor, a radio, or any other tool commonly found atconstruction sites or other work sites.

In an exemplary embodiment, the accessory tools 70 can be lockedrelative to the tailgate 18 in the following manner. First, at block 72,the tailgate is moved to the open position. The tailgate 18 may be movedto the open position by first unlocking the latching system 56 (i.e., torelease latch arms 54 from strikers that are mounted to the side wall 14of the truck bed 12) and then actuating the handle 22 to manuallyrelease the tailgate 18 for movement about the horizontal axis H.

Next, at block 74, the strap 32 of the tailgate tie down system 26 isrouted through and/or around a portion of one or more accessory tools70. This may include either first removing the strap 32 from the firstplate assembly 29, the second plate assembly 30, or both, or couldinclude routing the strap 32 through the accessory tools 70 while it isattached to one or both of the first and second plate assemblies 29, 30.The strap 32 may be routed through a handle opening or any other openingof the accessory tools 70. The strap 32 should be routed in a such a waythat the accessory tools 70 can only be removed from the tailgate 18 byfirst removing the strap 32 from the accessory tool(s) 70.

The first plate assembly 29 is positioned within the first latch opening34 and the second plate assembly 30 is positioned within the secondlatch opening 38 at block 76. This step may include positioning thestriker barrels 46 of each plate assembly 29, 30 with the latch openings34, 38 for engagement with the latch arms 54 of the latching system 56.It should be understood that an alternative embodiment is contemplatedin which the plate assemblies 29, 30 are secured in place prior torouting the strap 32 through the accessory tool(s) 70.

Finally, at block 78, the first and second plate assemblies 29, 30 arelocked within the latch openings 34, 38 of the tailgate 18. The firstand second plate assemblies 29, 30 may be locked relative to thetailgate 18 by actuating the powered latch actuator 60, which then movesthe latch arms 54 in locking engagement around the striker barrels 46.Block 78 may be automatically performed in response to a prompt from theuser, such as by actuating a button on the electronic device 66 oractuating the switch 68.

Locking the first and second plate assemblies 29, 30 within the firstand second latching openings 34, 38 effectively results in locking theaccessory tools 70 relative to the tailgate 18. Thus, the user maywander away from the vehicle 10 without risk of the accessory tools 70being stolen from the vehicle 10 during his/her absence.

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary tailgate tie down system 126. Inthis embodiment, the tailgate tie down system 126 includes a first plateassembly 129 and a second plate assembly 130. However, rather thanincluding an integrated strap, the first plate assembly 129 and thesecond plate assembly 130 are configured to accommodate a separatedevice 132 (e.g., bungee cord, strap, rope, etc.) that is supplied bythe user for tying down the long stock cargo 28.

As shown in FIG. 8A, each of the first and second plate assemblies 129,130 may include a plate body 144 and a striker barrel 146. In anembodiment, the plate body 144 includes a vertical section 147 and ahorizontal section 148 that extends from transversely away from an upperportion 150 of the vertical section 147. The striker barrel 146 mayprotrude outwardly from an inner surface 152 of the vertical section147.

In another embodiment, best illustrated in FIG. 8B, the horizontalsection 148 includes a tie down device 99. The tie down device 99 maytake the form of an opening, a flange, a ring, a combination of anopening and flange or ring, or any other surface or shape. The separatedevice 132 may be inserted through an opening of the tie down devices 99and connected to a flange of the opposing plate assemblies 129, 130 inorder to secure the long stock cargo 28 at a rearward location of thetailgate 18.

The tailgate tie down systems of this disclosure provide users with theability to tie down long stock cargo at rearward locations of a vehicletailgate. In addition, the tailgate tie down systems disclosed hereinmay be locked to the tailgate using existing tailgate hardware, thusproviding the ability to lock accessory devices to the tailgate withoutincreasing manufacturing costs.

Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated ashaving specific components or steps, the embodiments of this disclosureare not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to usesome of the components or features from any of the non-limitingembodiments in combination with features or components from any of theother non-limiting embodiments.

It should be understood that like reference numerals identifycorresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. Itshould be understood that although a particular component arrangement isdisclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, otherarrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.

The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art wouldunderstand that certain modifications could come within the scope ofthis disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should bestudied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tailgate tie down system, comprising: a firstplate assembly; a second plate assembly; and a strap irremovablyconnected to each of the first plate assembly and the second plateassembly when the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly arereceived within tailgate latch opening, wherein each of the first plateassembly and the second plate assembly includes a plate body and astriker barrel, wherein the plate body includes a vertical section and ahorizontal section, and the strap is connected to the horizontalsection, wherein the horizontal section includes a slot and the strap ispositioned through the slot and is removably secured to an underside ofthe horizontal section by a fastener.
 2. The system as recited in claim1, wherein the striker barrel protrudes outwardly from the verticalsection of the plate body.
 3. The system as recited in claim 1, whereinthe strap includes a ratchet adapted to tighten the strap between thefirst plate assembly and the second plate assembly.
 4. A vehicle,comprising: a tailgate including a first latch opening and a secondlatch opening; and the tie down system of claim 1 including the firstplate assembly secured within the first latch opening, the second plateassembly secured within the second latch opening, and the strapconnected to and extending between the first plate assembly and thesecond plate assembly, wherein the strap is irremovable from both thefirst plate assembly and the second plate assembly when the first plateassembly is received in the first latch opening and the second plateassembly is received in the second latch opening.
 5. The vehicle asrecited in claim 4, wherein the vehicle is a pickup truck.
 6. Thevehicle as recited in claim 4, wherein the strap is removably connectedto at least one of the first plate assembly and the second plateassembly when the first plate assembly or the second plate assembly isremoved from the first latch opening or the second latch opening.
 7. Thevehicle as recited in claim 4, comprising a first latch arm mountedinside the first latch opening for engaging the striker barrel of thefirst plate assembly and a second latch arm mounted inside the secondlatch opening for engaging the striker barrel of the second plateassembly.
 8. The vehicle as recited in claim 7, comprising a poweredlatch actuator configured to selectively lock or unlock the first latcharm and the second latch arm.
 9. The vehicle as recited in claim 8,comprising a control module configured to automatically actuate thepowered latch actuator for locking or unlocking the first latch arm andthe second latch arm in response to a user command signal.
 10. Thevehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the user command signal iscommunicated in response to actuating an electronic device.
 11. Amethod, comprising: routing the strap of the tailgate tie down system ofclaim 1 through at least one accessory tool; securing the first plateassembly and a second plate assembly of the tailgate tie down systemwithin opposing latch openings of a tailgate; locking the first andsecond plate assemblies within the opposing latch openings, therebylocking the accessory tool relative to the tailgate.
 12. The method asrecited in claim 11, comprising opening the tailgate prior to routingthe strap and securing the first and second plate assemblies.
 13. Themethod as recited in claim 11, wherein securing the first and secondplate assemblies includes: positioning a first striker barrel of thefirst plate assembly within a first of the opposing latch openings;engaging a first latch arm around the first striker barrel; positioninga second striker barrel of the second plate assembly within a second ofthe opposing latch openings; engaging a second latch arm around thesecond striker barrel.
 14. The method as recited in claim 13, whereinlocking the first and second plate assemblies includes: actuating apowered latch actuator to lock a positioning of the first latch arm andthe second latch arm.
 15. The method as recited in claim 14, comprising:actuating a key fob or a switch to command the powered latch actuator tolock the positioning of the first latch arm and the second latch arm.